


Interrogation

by Dazzlious



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 11:10:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9320900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dazzlious/pseuds/Dazzlious
Summary: With the final battle over, the war trials have begun. One last Death Eater remains to be judged. Can Hermione get his testimony before it's too late? And just how far will she go to obtain it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from J K Rowling's fantastic books or films, I'm just borrowing and playing with them for a little while and get no monetary reward for doing so.
> 
> A/N: I'd like to thank my beta, Mamacita, for her sterling work on making my punctuation readable, as ever. Dx

 

‘Well, I don’t know what __you__ think you’re going to get out of him,’ the witch said, looking her counterpart up and down carefully.

The woman was attractive enough but didn’t seem to be anything special, either looks-wise or magic-wise. Of course, she had fought with the great Harry Potter at the final battle, but that didn’t mean anything — lots of people had been in the final battle, and surely all of them would have been happy to have been at the great man’s side.

Hermione gave a brief smile and picked up the clipboard, flicking through the attached notes before turning her brown eyes on the other woman once more.

‘You don’t need to know,’ she replied pleasantly. ‘Is he ready to be transported?’

The woman nodded curtly, her mouth set into a grim line.

‘He is, but I don’t understand why you need to move him.’

‘Once again, you don’t need to know,’ Hermione replied quietly. ‘However, you have no need to worry. He’ll be in good hands and I guarantee he won’t be harmed.’

The woman snorted. ‘Why should I care if he’s harmed — after all the things he did over the years . . . .’

Hermione looked sharply at the woman. ‘I should hope you do care,’ she said, her voice clipped. ‘Otherwise, it makes you no better than he and his associates.’

The woman flushed angrily but didn’t say anything further.

Hermione retrieved a pen from her bag and signed the release form with a flourish.

‘Am I able to Apparate from in there?’ she asked.

The other nodded her head. ‘Special arrangements have been set up for that one room, for a five-minute period only,’ she warned.

‘That will be sufficient,’ Hermione said with a small smile. She looked at the woman again. ‘Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.’

She reached for the door handle. The woman’s hand reached out to stop her.

‘Are you sure?’ she asked worriedly. ‘He’s a real handful, and if you don’t watch him carefully—’

‘I’m positive,’ Hermione replied. ‘I am aware of his nature, and believe me, I know exactly what to do with him.’

She turned the handle and opened the door outwards. It creaked slightly.

Sitting on the bed was a man. He was tall and thin, with long, stringy blond hair. His face was lowered and his eyes closed as he ignored the entrance of whoever it was who had come to see him this time.

Hermione frowned. ‘What is he wearing?’ she asked the woman.

The woman shrugged. ‘A straitjacket. He gave us so many problems we had no choice. And if you’ve got any sense you’ll leave him in it.’

Hermione looked at the wreck of a man chained to the bed. She tutted loudly. Whatever he might have been and whatever he might or might not have done he certainly didn’t deserve this. He was being treated no better than an animal.

‘Unchain him!’ Her voice was commanding, enough so that the man raised his head to look at her as the other woman moved unhappily towards the bed.

‘Come on, we’ve only got a few minutes,’ Hermione reminded the woman who was fumbling with the locks, clearly not happy to be so close to the prisoner.

His head was raised fully now, ice-grey eyes sparkling in his pale, drawn face, his lips forcing themselves into a rictus of a smile as he looked at his saviour.

‘Miss Granger,’ he croaked, his voice a sharp rasp. ‘Have you come to release me?’

‘No. I’m here to interview you, Mr Malfoy,’ Hermione replied, torn between revulsion for the man before her and sympathy for his condition. It was clear that he hadn’t been very well treated since being taken into custody.

Lucius Malfoy gave a sigh, long and theatrical, his head shaking as he did so.

‘I have nothing to tell you,’ he said as the woman finished unlocking his chains.

She scurried away and headed for the door as Lucius stood. Hermione took a step into the room.

‘We’ll see,’ she replied with a smile as she walked towards him.

She turned her head briefly to the woman. ‘Shut the door and make arrangements for this place to be thoroughly cleaned. I expect it to be immaculate when we return.’

The woman looked unhappy at Hermione’s command but nodded her agreement.

‘Are we going somewhere, then?’ she heard Malfoy say as she slammed the heavy door shut with a clang.

She looked at her watch and left it another full ten minutes before she re-opened the door. The place was empty, the previous inhabitants having Apparated to wherever it was Miss Granger had taken Lucius. She looked at the filthy room and sighed. She would need to get in an army of house-elves to get this cleaned up.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lucius looked around him, not sure where he was or what was happening. His mind had been playing tricks on him for a few weeks now, and he didn’t want to hope he had finally escaped that stinking prison he had been chained in for Merlin knew how long. Of course, if it was true, that meant he had been rescued by Hermione Granger, and that was hardly likely.

Once, he would have been excited by the prospect of being alone with the lovely Miss Granger, but after his treatment at the hands of his captors he couldn’t even think straight, let alone get excited over a beautiful woman.

He swayed and collapsed on the floor. It was soft, definitely not his cell.

‘Are you okay, Mr Malfoy?’ Hermione’s voice was quiet and concerned. She leant down to help the collapsed man up. He was painfully thin and seemed to have aged a lot in the short time since she had last seen him.

She grabbed at the arms of the jacket where they twisted around one another and hauled, pulling him to his feet then guiding him towards a door set into the wall. She was trying to hold her breath as she did so. He smelled ripe and it was making her eyes water. She needed to get him into a shower as soon as possible. Pushing open the door of the bathroom with her foot, she led Lucius into the room. He stood tall, waiting to see what was going to happen.

‘I’m going to release you from this __thing__ ,’ Hermione said, ‘and then you’re going to take a shower. We’ll talk when you’re clean.’

She pulled him around and finding the buckle of the long sleeves she undid the straitjacket in short order, releasing Lucius from its grip. Lucius didn’t fight as she pulled the filthy item from him; what was the point? He was too weak in his current condition to do any damage, and she would just get angry. Anyway, she was releasing him from the straitjacket and letting him clean himself, which was something he definitely wanted.

The jacket was gone and he stood before her, naked except for a filthy pair of underpants.

Hermione merely glanced at him as she repeated, ‘I want you to take a shower. You’ll find towels and a bathrobe over there.’

Taking a deep breath and a firm grip on the jacket, she left the room, closing the door behind her and leaving Lucius alone.

He waited for a moment to see if she was going to return, but soon the need to be clean overwhelmed him. With a moan he stripped off the last filthy remnant of clothing and turned on the shower, immersing himself in the hot, stinging flow of water. He found some soap. It didn’t smell of much, but it would do. He lathered himself fully and rinsed off, then lathered his body again just to be sure. There was shampoo as well. Once again, nothing fancy, but to him it was heaven. Three times he washed his hair to remove the grime and the filth, the grease and the dirt, and to wash away all traces of the horrid cell he had been kept in for so long.

At least when he had been imprisoned in Azkaban he had been able to keep himself clean and had decent clothes; it had only been the Dementors that had provided the horror. At the place Hermione had just rescued him from he had been kept in squalor, not allowed to clean himself, almost starved, and then finally trussed up in that blasted jacket and chained to the bed. Realisation of what Hermione had done for him left Lucius sobbing, his tears mixing with the hot water that was still beating down on him.

A long time later Lucius shut off the water, completely clean now and stable once more. He stepped from the shower cubicle and, looking around, spotted a pile of towels. He grabbed one and tied it around his long hair before taking a few minutes to dry himself off with a second towel. A few minutes later he emerged from the bathroom dressed in a white towelling dressing gown, of better quality than he had expected to receive, still towelling his hair dry. He didn’t bother to check the door of the room, he knew Hermione would never have left it unlocked as she was far too smart for that, and it was just a waste of his little remaining energy. 

Lucius looked around the room. It appeared to be a bedroom — at least that was how it was styled. There was a bed, not a four-poster but with a bedstead, a chest of drawers, a wardrobe and two chairs with a small table between. Was this Hermione’s bedroom? It certainly looked very Muggle. He walked over and opened the wardrobe. It was completely empty, as was the chest of drawers; apparently not Hermione’s room, then. He sat down on the bed and continued drying his hair. He wondered where he was and why he had been brought here. Hermione had said she wanted to talk to him, but was he still in custody or had he been released?

He sat and waited but no one came.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When the door finally opened, Hermione entered carrying a tray. She looked quickly around the room and saw that Lucius was on the bed. He appeared to be asleep. She walked over to the bed, coughing loudly to attract his attention. She didn’t want to scare the man.

‘Are you awake, Mr Malfoy?’ Her voice was warm.

Lucius grunted in his sleep and turned over.

‘I’ve brought you some food.’

She placed the tray on the small table and moved towards the bed. She needed to wake him. It was vital that he eat; the man looked as if he hadn’t had a decent meal for months, so thin had he grown.

‘Mr Malfoy.’ Her voice was louder as she reached to touch Lucius on the shoulder.

He jerked awake, clearly confused and not knowing where he was for a moment. He pulled away from her as if he had been burnt, looking terrified. Hermione stood up and moved back a step. Gods, what had they done to him in that place?

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,’ she told him sincerely. ‘I was only trying to wake you.’

Lucius stared at her, unspeaking, trying to get a grip on his bearings. She walked back to the table and picked up the tray, taking it over to the bed where Lucius now looked more settled.

‘I’ve brought you some food.’ She placed the tray on his lap and moved away once more to sit down in a chair while she watched him examine it.

‘I haven’t poisoned it,’ she promised. ‘You’re quite safe to eat it.’

Lucius just looked at the food, making no effort to eat.

‘Please,’ Hermione said sadly. ‘You need to eat. You’re so thin.’

Lucius examined the tray. There was a large bowl of soup and two thick slices of bread, more food than he had seen in a long time. He wasn’t sure he could eat, it had been so long since his last proper meal. With a shaking hand, he lifted the spoon trying to get some of the soup but the trembling from his unused limbs was too violent, he had been jacketed for too long. The spoon fell from his grasp.

Hermione rushed to the bed, dismayed at his condition, and sat down beside him. She picked up the spoon and placed it in the bowl. Without another word she quietly spooned the soup into his mouth, feeding him. She tried not to get upset when his tears flowed again; she had heard his sobs in the shower and they had affected her far more than she had expected, but she realised Lucius was starving and his tears were of gratitude. She broke up the bread and put it into the soup, softening it before giving it to her prisoner. After a few mouthfuls, she gave him a sip of water, then waited until he indicated what he wanted. This continued until finally the meal had been eaten, then the tray was set aside on the bed as Hermione rubbed Lucius’ weak arms.

‘Are you in pain?’ she asked worriedly.

‘No.’ Lucius’ voice was quiet, but no longer rasping and cracking as she had first heard it. ‘My arms are just sore from being in that jacket for so long.’

Hermione continued to massage his arms. ‘How long were you in it?’

Lucius shrugged. ‘How long have I been a captive? Time has no meaning to me any longer. It seems like forever but it might be only days.’

‘The war has been over for nine months,’ Hermione told him. She noted his look of shock. ‘As far as I’ve been able to ascertain you’ve been in that place since the day you were captured. I wasn’t aware until I saw you that you were being kept as you were.’ She finished rubbing his arms and moved off the bed. ‘I apologise for the way you’ve been treated Mr Malfoy.’

Lucius snorted. ‘Why should you care? After all, I’m just another evil Death Eater.’

‘True, but no one should be treated so badly, regardless of who or what they are.’

She picked up the tray and walked towards the door, then turned.

‘I suggest you sleep. I’m sure you need it. I don’t suppose you got that any more than any of the other things you required in that place. I’ll see you in the morning.’

She opened the door and walked through it, then came back as if she had remembered something.

‘Oh, don’t bother trying to escape. You can’t. There’s no way out of the bathroom except into this room, and the window has been magically sealed and barred. Of course, the door will be locked once I leave and wards placed on it to prevent entry or exit until the morning.’ She smiled pleasantly.

‘But I really do think you need the sleep, Mr Malfoy. It will do you good. Sleep well.’

This time she really did leave.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lucius woke when the door opened, realising that he had slept for the whole night. He felt refreshed, and for the first time in what he now knew was nine months, he didn’t feel the extreme fatigue he usually started the day with. And he was free. Not to leave, of course, but his arms weren’t locked in that awful bloody jacket and he wasn’t chained to the bed. He could get up and walk around the room if he so wished. He could go to the bathroom and shower and best of all he could use the toilet rather than having to foul himself.

He sat up as Hermione entered the room. Once again she was carrying a tray. She smiled at him as she came over to the bed and placed the tray on his lap.

‘Did you sleep well?’ she asked.

Lucius nodded. ‘Very, thank you. A comfortable bed certainly helped.’

He gave her a small smile and Hermione’s heart leapt. He was returning to the Lucius Malfoy that she knew of old, not the cowed and broken creature she had liberated the day before.

‘Do you need help with your breakfast?’ she asked.

Lucius looked at the loaded tray and laughed. ‘Only with eating some of it,’ he said wryly. ‘I haven’t been eating all that much over the last nine months.’

‘I can tell, you’re so thin,’ Hermione replied. ‘Just eat as much as you can.’

Lucius picked up the glass of orange juice and drank it in one mouthful. Hermione noticed that his arms were still shaking but nowhere near as badly as the previous night.

He picked up the spoon and began to eat the porridge. It was a slow process, but he didn’t ask for help and he didn’t spill anywhere near as much as the day before. Hermione moved back to the chair and watched him quietly while he ate.

‘You said I’ve been in captivity for nine months,’ he said looking Hermione.

She nodded.

‘What’s happened during the time I’ve been away?’

Hermione looked thoughtful.

‘Kingsley Shacklebolt is now the Minister for Magic. He’s worked hard to put things right there, and Harry and Ron are working with him. Hogwarts has just reopened with Minerva McGonagall as Headmistress. Life is getting back to normal although it’s going to take a long while.’

Lucius cut up a sausage. ‘What about Narcissa? And Draco?’ He looked worried.

Hermione looked at him steadily. ‘Narcissa was released without charge the day after the battle. Harry told the inquiry she had helped him at the end. It was clear that she was no Death Eater so there was no reason for her to be detained.’

She watched Lucius eating for a moment.

‘And Draco?’    

‘Harry helped him, too. Although they hadn’t got on throughout school, it was clear that Draco had been forced into the Death Eaters because of your failure at the Department of Mysteries. He was really just a scared boy forced into trying to save his parents. He’s working with Harry and Ron as an Auror . . . he’s doing really well,’ she finished with a smile.

‘Am I the last?’ Lucius asked.

Hermione knew what he meant. She nodded.

‘It took me ages to track you down,’ she said apologetically. ‘I left you in that holding cell expecting to collect you the following day but when I got back you were gone and all the paperwork seemed to have mysteriously disappeared. I’m afraid you’re not very popular with a lot of people Mr Malfoy.

‘When I finally found you it took a lot of work to get you released into my custody. At one point I thought I was never going to get you out. But, of course, I never realised just how badly they were treating you in there. There was never any word of that.’

‘And why am I released to your custody, Miss Granger?’ Lucius asked. He had pushed away the tray having consumed almost three-quarters of the contents.

‘Because I’m the one who is going to interrogate you,’ Hermione replied, standing and picking up the tray, ‘Because you’re going to be talking to me.’

‘I’ve already told you I have nothing to say to you,’ Lucius told her.

‘That’s not true,’ Hermione replied simply. ‘And you will tell me everything eventually.’

She walked towards the door with the empty tray.

‘I’ll see if I can find you some clothes. Probably not as grand as the ones you’re used to, but better than nothing, eh?’

She winked and looked at the man, naked except for the thin sheet that covered him, then walked out the door.

He heard the sound of the lock turning and wards being placed, trapping him once more.

Hermione returned briefly with some clothes and clean towels before leaving Lucius alone again. He had taken another long shower and then dressed, enjoying the feeling of once again being himself. He still had no idea what Hermione was expecting him to talk about, and as his strength returned his desire to get away from her was lessening, especially if it meant returning to that other awful place. He would quite happily spend the rest of his life here not talking if she were to be his gaoler.

Although Hermione had been a thorn in his side for as long as he could remember, she had also grown into an attractive and incredibly intelligent woman. He knew she was a nice girl and disliked pain or torture, so he wondered how she expected to get him to talk. It was clear that she was confident he would do so, and obviously, she had been charged by others with the task and so they had thought her suitable, but for the life of him Lucius couldn’t see what she could do that would loosen his tongue.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Lucius had been in the room for four days now and wanted to stretch his legs, but of course, he wasn’t allowed out. Also, he was bored stiff as there was nothing of interest in the room. So far Hermione’s visits had been limited to mealtimes, and even then she had kept well away from him, especially now that he was eating properly and his strength was coming back.

The door opened and he sat up looking at the opening and the woman who entered.

‘I’ve brought you a couple of newspapers to read,’ Hermione told him as she placed the tray on the table. He was now strong enough to eat there rather than in bed. ‘It’ll give you an idea of what’s going on in the outside world. I wouldn’t take the __Quibbler__ too seriously, though. I only still get it to be kind to Luna’s father. Mind you, it’s always good for a laugh.’

Lucius thanked her gratefully and put the papers to one side, glancing at the headline on the __Daily Prophet__ as he took a bite of the sandwich she had brought him.

He stopped chewing and opened the paper up, reading the lead article. He swallowed, then, ‘Order of Merlin First Class for Severus Snape? What the fuck did he get that for? The bastard’s a Death Eater, whatever you all think. I just can’t believe how you all fall for his bullshit!’

Hermione looked sad for a moment and shook her head.

‘No. He really wasn’t. He might have been a Death Eater when he was younger but when Voldemort killed Lily Potter he became a spy for the Order of the Phoenix.’

Lucius stared at her in amazement.

Hermione continued, ‘When Voldemort came back Snape continued to be a spy for us and died trying to help Harry. He really was a hero . . . although, of course, I’m sure you wouldn’t think so.’

She seemed upset. Lucius wondered what her feelings had been for the snarky Potions Master.

‘I have to go out for a while,’ she told him, seeming to recover. ‘When I get back we’ll begin the questioning.’

She rose and headed for the door not bothering to look back at the man who sat eating at the table. He returned to reading the paper, wondering how he had never realised that one of his best friends had been a traitor for all those years.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When Hermione returned that evening she was dressed far less formally than usual. Instead of the smart suit she had been wearing on every other occasion, she was wearing jeans and a camisole top. She smelt wonderful and her hair, usually trapped in a fierce bun, had been freed to run wild down her back in cascading curls.

Lucius felt a small throb in his trouser region. It had been a long time since anything had occurred down there, his imprisoned state not being conducive to arousal but the sight of Hermione this evening was definitely causing something to happen now.

Her skin looked creamy against the dark brown of the camisole she wore. He looked closer, trying to see if he could discern the hint of a nipple against the stretchy fabric. As she leant over to place his tray on the table he was almost close enough to touch her breast and had to force himself not to do so.

‘I thought you might like a glass of wine,’ she told him. She opened her bag and produced a bottle and two glasses. ‘Nothing expensive like you’re used to, I’m afraid, but it is drinkable.’

She unscrewed the cap of the bottle, causing Lucius to wrinkle his nose in disgust, and poured them both a glass. She noticed his look.

‘I can get you some pumpkin juice instead,’ she told him archly.

He shook his head and reached for the glass. ‘This will be fine, I’m sure.’

He took a mouthful and was surprised to find that the quality was far better than he had anticipated.

‘It’s good!’ He took another sip, then started on his meal.

‘Don’t you want anything to eat?’ he asked.

Hermione shook her head. ‘I ate earlier.’

She sat and watched him as he slowly forked the food into his mouth. ‘Do you want me to leave you alone while you eat?’

Lucius shook his head. ‘No. I enjoy your company, as brief as it is. I’m happy for you to stay.’

Hermione smiled and took another sip of her wine, leaning back in her chair to relax.

‘You’re not dressed for work,’ Lucius commented after he had finished his food and they sat sharing the rest of the bottle of wine.

‘No. You don’t mind, I hope? It’s my evening off, so I get to dress however I want.’

Lucius raised his eyebrows. ‘Evening off? So what are you doing spending it here with me? Surely you’d rather be with your boyfriend or something, wouldn’t you?’

Hermione laughed. ‘No boyfriend at the moment. We’ve all been a bit busy with clearing up after the war. Anyway, I’d rather get to know you better. I mean, you have to start talking to me soon, Mr Malfoy.’

Lucius shrugged. ‘I don’t know what it is you expect me to tell you, Miss Granger.’

‘Oh, I’m going to want to know everything. All the stuff you did as a Death Eater, from last time and this — you know, all the bad bits, the bits you don’t want to think about . . . the horrible stuff.’

‘What if I don’t want to tell you?’

Hermione smiled. ‘You will tell me eventually, Mr Malfoy. I promise you that.’ She picked up the bottle and refilled his glass, pouring the last of the wine into her own.

‘Is there any chance I can get out and go for a walk or something?’ Lucius asked.

Hermione looked sad. ‘No. I’m sorry. This is the only room that’s secure. I couldn’t trust you anywhere else. But maybe once you’ve told me everything . . . .’ She looked at him for a moment and then added, ‘I can bring you a book if you’d like one. Just tell me which one.’

He thought for a moment. ‘The Count of Monte Cristo.’

Hermione looked surprised. ‘Muggle literature? I would never have imagined you reading anything like that.’

Lucius laughed. ‘The one thing Muggles do so much better than wizards,’ he admitted. ‘I’ve been reading their books secretly since I was a child.’

‘The Count it is, then,’ said Hermione, getting to her feet. ‘And now I have to go. I’ll see you in the morning.’

Lucius stood too, and watched as she bent to pick up the tray and empty bottle, once again catching a whiff of her perfume. She smelt so good, and for a moment he had the urge to grab her and pull her to him, but once again he managed to restrain himself.

‘You could stay, you know.’ His voice was a lush drawl and he winked at her as she raised her head to look at him.

Hermione laughed delightedly. ‘I see you’re recovering well, Mr Malfoy.’

Lucius scowled. ‘Stop calling me bloody Mr Malfoy, will you? My name’s Lucius, call me Lucius.’

Hermione shook her head. ‘You’re Mr Malfoy to me,’ she said quietly and, smiling, headed for the door. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lucius spent a restless night tossing and turning, dreams of Hermione running through his head. He wasn’t sure if the cause was her casual dress or her admitting that she wasn’t in a relationship, but for the first time in many months his dreams were lurid, bordering on pornographic. He awoke in the morning with a raging hard-on and was just debating a trip to the bathroom to sort it when the door opened and the woman of his dreams appeared.

Once again she was dressed in her work clothes with her hair tied away in a tight bun but today she looked different, somehow more sensual. Her blouse was unbuttoned more than usual, giving a welcome but somewhat annoying peek at her cleavage and the skirt seemed tighter and shorter and was set off by seamed stockings.

His cock twitched and Lucius groaned. No time to do anything now, he couldn’t even get up, as he was naked under the sheet. For a second he wondered what Hermione would do if he stood naked in front of her with his massive erection, but then he realised, somewhat disconsolately, that she would probably hex him.

‘Are you okay?’ Hermione asked worriedly, having heard Lucius’ groan. Normally he was up and dressed by now. ‘Are you ill?’

She moved towards the bed after dropping the tray on the table and sat down next to him. Lucius lay as still as possible in the hope Hermione wouldn’t spot his erection, although it was clearly making a tent in the sheets.

‘Overslept,’ he said quietly. ‘Perhaps you should leave me to get dressed, come back in half an hour?’

Hermione smiled. ‘We really need to start talking today, Lucius,’ she said quietly, and her hand rubbed across the top of the tented area of the sheet.

She knew he was erect.

Lucius gasped. The mixture of her touch and her use of his first name was highly erotic and he had to stifle a moan. However, the next moment he couldn’t help it as her hand caressed his cock again through the sheet.

‘Do you think you’re ready to talk to me?’ Her voice was more seductive than he had ever heard it.

Hermione looked at him carefully, licking her lips before gently biting on her index finger. Her other hand was still absent-mindedly brushing the sheet.

‘Uh-huh,’ Lucius managed with a nod, his eyes locked on her mouth as his cock twitched under the sheet.

‘Good. I’ll let you get dressed and have your breakfast and then we can talk.’ Her voice was seductively low.

She squeezed.

Lucius gave a moan as her fingers caught the head of his cock and squeezed gently. Then the pressure was gone. It was too much for the aroused man.

‘Touch me,’ he begged, and he scrabbled at the sheet, pulling it down to reveal his erection which bobbed wildly as it rose from the bush of white-blond hair at his crotch.

Hermione looked at him for a moment and then reached out to grasp the hard length, causing Lucius to gasp loudly.

‘I really want you to talk to me, Lucius,’ she whispered as she squeezed his cock, drawing another low moan from him. ‘It would make me happy,’ she continued, ‘and then you’d be happy too.’

She bent and kissed the head of his cock, the tip of her tongue licking quickly and gently around it, then she released him and stood up.

‘Talk to me,’ she said again and she walked to the door, leaving without looking back.

Lucius’ brain was spinning as he struggled to get showered and dressed before eating his breakfast. Hermione’s actions had definitely been deliberate, and surely the hint she had given him was that if he talked to her she would give him more pleasure in the form of her succulent mouth.

He mentally praised whoever it was who had assigned Hermione to interrogate him. They clearly knew what they were doing. Gods, if she would just let him fuck her he would tell her everything she wanted to know. He would talk until his voice disappeared, just for that chance.

But right now he was feeling frustrated. Even hornier than he had been before Hermione had touched him, he had quickly relieved himself, unable to enjoy it because of his desire for his captor. He wanted it to be her touching him, her bringing him to climax, but once again she had left him alone.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hermione didn’t come back until late in the evening. She brought with her a tray containing a large amount of food and her handbag. She was still dressed in her work clothes, but once again they had been subtly adjusted to reveal more flesh than during her official work hours.

She smiled as she put the tray down and opened her handbag to pull out a stack of parchment and a quill. Then she retrieved another bottle of wine.

‘I’m sure you must be ready to talk to me by now, Lucius,’ she said quietly as she opened the bottle and passed him a glass of the wine.

Lucius looked at her but didn’t say anything as he continued eating. She watched him until he had finished his food, then leaned back in her chair and took a sip of her drink.

‘Shall we begin with how you became a Death Eater in the first place?’

Lucius looked at her appraisingly. ‘And what are you going to do if I tell you these things?’

Hermione smiled. ‘Did I not make myself clear this morning?’ she asked, biting her bottom lip nervously as she finished talking.

Lucius shook his head. ‘I don’t believe that. I can’t believe you’ve been told to interrogate me that way, and even if you had I don’t believe you’d do it.’

Hermione took another sip of her drink and shrugged. ‘I was told to interrogate you the best way I could; I have a completely free rein. I’m not stupid, Lucius. I know what makes you tick and I know how to get you to talk to me.’

‘So say I do talk to you, say I do tell you about my past, the things you want to know — you’re going to repay me with a blowjob, are you?’

Hermione looked at him, her face set. ‘If that’s what it requires. Although I was hoping you’d decide to talk of your own free will. After all, you’re not going to get out of this unless you convince the court you’re innocent and to do that you need to talk to me.’

‘Maybe I’m not innocent,’ Lucius replied, looking at Hermione levelly. ‘Maybe nothing I say will free me. Had you ever thought of that?’

Hermione looked surprised. She had assumed Lucius would jump at the chance to give his side of the story, whether truth or not. After all, hadn’t he told the previous inquiry he had been under the Imperius Curse for the duration of the first wizarding war? She knew she had gone too far this morning with her treatment of him, but she hadn’t been able to resist. After all those years of him being the dominant one and treating her so shabbily could she be blamed for having had a little fun of her own now that she was in the dominant position? And to be honest, the size of his cock had come as something of a surprise.

Of course, she had been given the job as she had agreed that she would be willing to provide sexual relief to the man if it was required to get his confession but that was supposed to have been a secret, something provided as a last resort, not a given, and she had never really expected to have to do it knowing Lucius Malfoy's prejudice against Muggles and Muggle-borns. Yet now that it came to it she wasn’t anywhere near as confident as she had been when it had just been a plan. Now, Lucius clearly had no intention of telling her anything unless she gave him something in return and her own stupidity this morning had given him the tool. She took a deep breath.

‘So talk. Tell me about your early years and I’ll give you what you want.’ She tried to sound happy but wasn’t sure she had succeeded. Inside she was cringing at the thought of what she was going to have to do. She just hoped her work colleagues would appreciate it although of course, she would never tell any of them __exactly__ what she’d had to do to get his confession.

Lucius looked at Hermione, smiling widely. This confession really was important to her and if he played it right he could get everything he wanted in exchange for information he would probably have to provide at some point anyway. He reached out and took her hand, stroking it gently.

‘Do you need to write?’ he asked.

Hermione shook her head slowly. ‘No, I have a self-writing quill. You just need to speak and it will do the rest.’ She took another larger sip of her wine.

‘Then I suggest we move to the bed,’ Lucius replied smoothly. ‘We can talk just as well there as anywhere else.’

He stood, not letting go of Hermione’s hand. Reluctantly, she, too, stood and followed him to the bed. She sat down beside him, more aware than ever of what was expected of her.

‘So you want to know when I first became a Death Eater? It started when I was seventeen. My father had introduced me to a number of influential people who were friends of the Dark Lord . . . .’

Hermione listened to his confession, interested in spite of herself. Was Lucius really going to tell her the truth or would he still lie to save himself? She started as she realised he had moved her hand over his trousers and was pushing it down on his erection; he clearly expected her to play with him while he talked.

She finally gave in. Hermione knew she couldn’t refuse him so she slowly undid his trousers as he continued to make his confession. He paused in his monologue for a moment as her mouth found his hard length, but his confession was over before she finished and his cries of pleasure as he emptied himself into her mouth came long after the quill had finished writing. 

As Hermione gathered her equipment and prepared to leave, Lucius was already considering the future. As far as he could see it looked very good for him, very good indeed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The following day Hermione was very quiet when she brought in his breakfast. She was dressed as usual in her work clothes but today she was disappointingly buttoned up like an old maid, clearly what she’d had to do the night before had upset her. She put the tray on the table and started to leave without saying anything to Lucius, but he gripped her arm, stopping her from going.

‘Not talking to me this morning, Hermione?’ His voice was a lush drawl that held just a hint of a smirk.

Hermione flushed but didn’t say anything. She looked uncomfortable in his grasp.

‘Do you want me to continue with my confession?’ Lucius asked smoothly. ‘I’m sure we can come to some arrangement after your excellent performance last night.’ He smiled lewdly.

This was too much for Hermione. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes and tried to pull out of his grasp, needing to get out before she lost control completely. When she had agreed to the assignment she hadn’t understood how hard she was going to find it; after all, she hadn’t really thought through the implications of what sexual favours would actually mean.

‘Don’t tell me it was that bad, Hermione,’ Lucius crooned. ‘I thought you were very good, you certainly gave __me__ lots of pleasure.’ He held more tightly to the squirming woman.

Hermione cringed.

‘It really was very good but I think we could go a bit further, don’t you?’ Lucius asked, pulling Hermione into his arms. ‘I was thinking that if I confessed everything to you we could make love,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘I really want to make you come, Hermione.’

Hermione froze in his arms. Surely this couldn’t be happening. His hands were running over her body now, but although his lips were on her neck she wasn’t sure his exploration was purely sexual. He seemed to be searching for something.

She pulled away and looked at him. ‘I don’t have my wand on me, Mr Malfoy. So you’re not going to be able to take it off me.’

Lucius merely smiled and pulled her towards him once more.

‘Nor will you be able to use me as a hostage,’ she informed him. ‘Under no circumstances will anyone let you go to save me.’

Lucius smiled again, his lips by her ear once more. ‘Are we all alone, then? And why are you suddenly calling me Mr Malfoy again? I much prefer you calling me Lucius . . . I’d especially enjoy that when you come for me.’

Hermione didn’t reply. Lucius’ hand moved to caress her breasts, his mouth suddenly taking hers in a deep kiss.

No wand meant she couldn’t hex him if he touched her and he was sure she wouldn’t have gone down on him the way she had if there were others around watching her every move. Her reaction this morning showed that. That gave him the perfect opportunity to convince her to give him exactly what he wanted — and he wanted a lot after spending the night dreaming of Hermione as his lover.

‘I want you so much, Hermione,’ he whispered again, his hands undoing the buttons of her blouse. ‘Let me make love to you and I’ll tell you anything you want.’

‘Are you going to tell me the truth?’ Hermione managed. Against all odds, Lucius Malfoy was provoking a reaction in her, something she definitely hadn’t expected.

‘Do you want to hear the truth?’ Lucius asked interestedly. ‘Do you really, Hermione?’ His hand ran down her spine, causing a thrill to run through her.

‘Yes!’ she cried out. ‘Yes, I want the truth.’

‘I’m not sure you can handle the truth,’ Lucius whispered in her ear, ‘but I’ll give you __a__ truth, the truth I want you to know.’

His mouth found hers again, hard and questing, his tongue forcing itself into her mouth as he pulled her to him. His hands were loosening her hair, pulling it from the constricting bun. Hermione melted into his arms. However evil Lucius Malfoy might be, his sexual attractiveness wasn’t diminished in the slightest. Catching herself, she pulled away, trying to calm herself down.

‘Talk first,’ she said, a flush of colour rising up her face as she moved out of Lucius’ reach.

With those words, she had agreed to his proposal. He smiled and shrugged as he sat on the bed looking at Hermione.

‘Are you going to come and sit with me?’ he asked seductively.

‘No. You can talk first. You’ve got a lot to tell me if you really want to make love.’

Hermione couldn’t believe she had resigned herself to this so easily, especially knowing Lucius was going to lie through his teeth.

‘Perhaps we can split it into sections,’ Lucius suggested. ‘You can’t expect me to talk all day without touching you at all.’

Hermione’s eyebrows rose in amusement. ‘Can’t I?’

‘No. I won’t do it. You know about my activities from the first war. Next, I’ll tell you about my activities in the intervening years before the Dark Lord came back. Once I’ve finished I expect you to join me on the bed for a while before I continue.’

‘I don’t think you’re in a position to negotiate,’ Hermione said, trying to sound cold.

Lucius laughed as he sat down at the table and began to eat his breakfast. ‘You’re the one who so desperately wants my confession, Hermione. What are you willing to do to get it?’

Hermione blushed again but didn’t say anything.

‘So we have a deal?’ Lucius asked the seductive drawl back again. He looked pointedly at Hermione.

Hermione nodded slowly, not looking at Lucius.  


	3. Chapter 3

 

‘. . . So although everyone seems to have the wrong impression about me, I’m really no different than any other wizard. Yes, I get a bit upset about Muggles occasionally but I’m not really the evil Death Eater everyone accuses me of being.’

Hermione stifled a snort of laughter. She couldn’t believe Lucius was trying to convince her that he wasn’t a Death Eater and didn’t hate Muggles and Muggle-borns. Look at the way he had acted towards her for all these years.

She frowned. And that didn’t make sense. The Malfoys had always made their hatred of her perfectly clear, yet suddenly Lucius was treating her as if she was his ideal woman. Surely he shouldn’t want to even touch her, should he? Not with his views, regardless of how desperate for a shag he was.

She looked towards the bed. Lucius was watching her carefully.

‘What’s the matter?’ he asked.

‘You’ve always hated me,’ Hermione said. ‘For years you’ve wished me dead. Why the sudden change?’

Lucius smiled. ‘Perhaps this should convince you that I’m telling the truth.’

‘But you’re not, though, are you? How on earth can you bear to touch me, Lucius, when you hate me so much?’

Lucius left the bed and stood in front of her, taking hold of her hands.

‘You were young and annoying. I’ve had plenty of time to reconsider my feelings for you, Hermione.’

Hermione shook her head and tried to pull her hands from Lucius’ grasp. ‘No. It wasn’t just that. You hated me. I’m a Muggle-born. I’m sure you’d rather have been hexed than touch me, so how can you have changed so much?’

‘Which just goes to show how wrong I was,’ Lucius replied seductively, pulling Hermione out of the chair. ‘And now I definitely want to touch you. Time for you to join me on the bed, I think.’

‘But—’

Hermione’s protestation was cut off by Lucius kissing her again, a deep and sensual kiss to which she couldn’t help but respond.

‘You want me as much as I want you, Hermione,’ Lucius whispered in her ear as he guided her towards the bed. ‘Pretend as much as you like, but I know the truth.’

Lucius pushed Hermione beneath him, his mouth still on hers, his hands caressing her body as he moved to undo the remaining buttons on her blouse.

Now his lips were trailing kisses down her throat, heading for her breasts which were still encased in the lace and silk of her bra. His fingers brushed over the flimsy fabric, feeling her nipples stiffen at his touch. Lucius smiled as his tongue flicked out to lick over one of the hard nubs, causing a small cry of pleasure from Hermione.

While his tongue played with her nipple his hands slid beneath her back to undo her bra, then pulled both that and the blouse from her. He gazed at the beautiful woman before him, his hand brushing gently over her breasts, and took enjoyment from how her nipples stiffened further before he swooped to capture one hard nub with his mouth once more. Hermione’s back arched as his mouth suckled on her breast and one hand caressed her throat and chin.

‘You’re beautiful!’ he whispered as his hands moved lower, finding the waistband of her skirt and working to undo it. He was still pressed against her and he noted with pleasure the sensitivity of her skin as his linen shirt rubbed against it, causing her to give a series of little gasps.

The skirt was gone now, leaving Hermione in only stockings and tiny silk and lace knickers. With a swift motion, he removed the knickers and brushed his fingers against her slit, causing her to cry out, her back arching once more.

‘Now to repay the pleasure you gave me last night,’ Lucius drawled seductively. His tongue moved from her breasts down over her stomach, pausing briefly to lap at her belly button and then heading down towards her darkly haired mound. Hermione squealed and tried to move, but Lucius wrapped his arms around her legs, pulling them apart.

‘Time for you to come for me, my love,’ he whispered as his tongue slid between her legs. He licked around the hard bud of her clit, making her cry out with a mixture of desire and pleasure. Hermione writhed against him.

‘Oh, yes, baby,’ Lucius whispered. His tongue travelled the whole length of her slit, and he himself moaned with pleasure at the taste of her. His tongue worked harder the more Hermione cried out, and he gripped hold of her as she tried to both escape his tongue and at the same time press against it.

His fingers joined his tongue as he pushed into her slick wetness, groaning with pleasure as she finally came for him, crying out his name as her body writhed and bucked beneath him. Tightly he held her as her orgasm erupted, leaving her shaking and breathless. Lucius wrapped her in his arms and gently caressed her as he whispered into her hair, calming and soothing her, his lips finding first her neck, then her mouth again.

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘So what happened when Voldemort returned?’ Hermione asked.

She had moved to sit on the chair once more, much to Lucius’ chagrin, although she hadn’t re-dressed and was giving him an enticing view.

‘Why don’t you come back to bed?’ he asked seductively.

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, Lucius. You need to concentrate for this bit and I hardly think me lying next to you naked is going to keep your mind on the confession.’

Lucius looked at Hermione intently. ‘I’m not sure I want to continue with the confession,’ he said honestly.

‘Why not?’ Hermione looked at him worriedly.

‘Because when I finish you have no reason to keep me here any longer. You can send me back to that awful place.’ He shuddered.

Hermione frowned. ‘I’m sorry, Lucius, but you have to give me your confession. Time’s running out and if I don’t get it to the Ministry soon the court will sentence you without your statement.’

She moved to sit on the bed again and held Lucius’ hand. ‘I promise I won’t send you back there if I can help it. I’ll try to keep you here with me.’

Lucius gave a huge sigh. ‘What happens if I don’t give my statement?’

‘You’ll be guilty by default. I don’t know what will happen to you. The __best__ thing that could happen is that you’d be sent to Azkaban.’ Her voice was low and unhappy. ‘Please, Lucius, don’t let them sentence you without a fight,’ she pleaded.

‘Come here,’ Lucius whispered, opening his arms to her. Hermione lay down in his arms and wrapped hers around him in return.

‘You know I’m guilty,’ he whispered as he kissed the top of her head. ‘And so do they.’

‘But you convinced them last time.’

‘Do you really think I’ll get away with it a second time?’ He looked at her, a small smile playing on his lips.

‘If you say the right things, yes, I do,’ Hermione replied.

‘Undress me,’ Lucius whispered. ‘I want to be naked with you.’

Hermione shook her head and wriggled out of Lucius’ grasp. ‘Not yet. I need the rest of your confession first. Please, Lucius.’

He sighed but released her, allowing her to return to the chair. ‘Any chance of a drink?’

Hermione smiled. ‘Of course. What do you want? Are you hungry?’

‘Do you have any more of that wine? Will you eat with me?’ Lucius asked.

Hermione nodded. ‘I’ll be back soon,’ she said, and picking up his towelling robe she tied it securely around herself before leaving the room.

He heard the lock turning. She was good, was Hermione; no matter what he threw at her she never forgot the security.

Lucius lay back on the bed, his eyes closed as he debated what he would say for the final part of his confession. Hermione had said he could be freed if he said the right things, and it seemed important to her that he do so.  Perhaps she really did have feelings for him however hard she tried to hide it. She had certainly responded well enough to his attentions earlier and was showing no signs of getting dressed, so she was clearly expecting to resume the lovemaking at some point.

He tried to think back to when he had first realised he no longer cared that she was a Mudblood; when he had known that he would do anything to possess her and make her his mistress. It had been long before the final battle. Several times he had considered abducting her and holding her at Malfoy Manor until she yielded to him, although the Dark Lord had ended all thoughts of that when he had chosen to use Lucius’ home as his base.

Of course, there had been that moment, that time when she was a prisoner in his home, when he could have taken advantage of her, could have taken what he so desired. But had he done so, he would have sealed her death warrant, from Bellatrix if no one else. He had made the mistake of going with Bellatrix a couple of times in their younger years and she seemed to take that to mean they were lifelong lovers even though he hadn’t looked at her that way for at least a dozen years. If that mad harridan had found that he had fucked Hermione, Bellatrix would have killed her, no matter what her blood status. After all, she had already come close to it when she tortured Hermione and Lucius had been hard pressed not to react to save the woman. 

He wondered briefly how Hermione would feel if he was to admit this to her and guessed that it wouldn’t go down very well. This was yet another thing that he would have to conceal if he was to have any chance of escaping the inquiry.

The door reopened and Hermione entered carrying a loaded tray. She kicked the door closed behind her. Lucius jumped up from the bed to help her carry the tray, leaving her to rummage in her handbag for the wine and glasses. He put the tray on the table and smiled at her.

‘Thank you for eating with me. I don’t like eating alone.’

‘I understand that,’ Hermione replied as she sat down at the table and poured the wine. ‘But I’m not supposed to eat with you.’

‘Are you supposed to fuck me?’ Lucius asked with a smile.

Hermione gave a small smile, shaking her head as if unable to believe he had made that comment.

As they ate she looked intently at the man across the table. ‘You are going to finish your confession, aren’t you, Lucius?’

Lucius nodded. ‘Yes, love. I’ll do it because you want me to.’ He smiled.

Hermione blushed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘. . . I was so pleased when Potter finally defeated that megalomaniac, I could have cried. No longer would I have to pretend to be something I wasn’t just to stay alive, and my family could finally be free.’

Lucius stopped, his eyes still closed. He listened to the quill scratching out his final words. He had finished. It was rubbish, most of it, but hopefully, it would get him off at the inquiry. He opened his eyes and looked at Hermione. She was still sitting in the chair, listening interestedly to his confession.

‘Is that it?’ she asked.

He nodded. ‘What do you think?’

She looked at him. ‘Honestly? I think it’s a crock of shit, Lucius, but I think if you play the part well enough in court you’ll get off again.’

Lucius sighed. ‘Why don’t you believe me?’

‘Because you all but told me you were lying. But I guess some of it must be true because I still don’t believe you’d have been able to touch me knowing I’m a Muggle-born, even before Voldemort came back.’

Lucius held out his arms. ‘Come back to bed now. My confession is finished and it’s time for us to make love.’

Hermione stood, undoing the robe as she walked over to the bed. It slid from her as she moved into Lucius’ arms.

He kissed her, his hands caressing her bottom as he did so. ‘Will you undress me now?’ he asked playfully.

Hermione smiled. ‘Of course. I guess you did exactly what I wanted.’ She began to undo the buttons of his shirt.

Lucius laughed. ‘And now you’re going to do exactly what I want.’

Hermione looked a touch unhappy. ‘What if it’s something I don’t want to do?’

‘Oh, believe me, you will,’ whispered Lucius.

He gave a growl of pleasure as her soft hands pulled off his shirt and he pulled her to him once more, savouring the feel of his skin on hers. Now her hands were working on his trousers, sliding them down. Impatient, he shrugged them off, his hands finding Hermione’s breasts as she ran a hand over the hard bulge in his pants.

‘Don’t tease,’ he begged, and she smiled as she pulled down the pants, revealing his erection. Lucius saw her lick her lips as she looked at it and he moaned with pleasure as her small, soft hand wrapped around it and squeezed, gently at first, then harder.

‘I want you so much,’ Lucius whispered as one hand caressed the stiff nipple he had discovered.

The other hand slid between Hermione’s legs and felt the moisture already there. She was horny for him, too. He buried his face in her neck, his lips running whisper-soft kisses down her throat as she whimpered with pleasure. He rubbed himself against her, enjoying the feel of his naked body against hers. He wanted to touch every part of her. He was desperate to possess her, to claim her as his.

‘I need you inside me, Lucius,’ Hermione admitted her voice a breathy whisper.

His heart soared at her words and with a roar of desire Lucius pushed Hermione beneath him and straddled her body before pushing her legs wide with his own. For a moment he rubbed the head of his cock up and down her moist slit, hearing her mewls of desire as she arched towards him in an effort to pull him inside her.

Then, with cries from both of them, he pushed, thrusting deep inside her tight wetness, calling out as he buried himself inside her. He held her tight as he moved in and out, slowly at first, but the couple soon picked up a rhythm as he thrust deeper, her pussy filled completely by his huge cock.

‘Oh, gods, I’ve wanted this for so long,’ he admitted quietly, whispering into her hair as he thrust harder, pushing every inch of himself inside Hermione.

She cried out as she moved against him, wrapping her legs around him to pull him deeper, her breathing rapidly growing more shallow as she came closer to climax. Lucius too was close, but he wasn’t ready to end it. With a sudden movement, he rolled over and pulled Hermione on top of him, moan after moan escaping his lips as she rode him hard and fast.

From the sounds she was making it was clear she was close to orgasm, but she was pulling Lucius that way too and still he didn’t want to come. He was enjoying the feeling of being inside Hermione too much. Soon she was on her back again as he plunged into her, feeling her tightness contract further around his hardness as her climax began.

Harder and deeper he thrust, his movements getting faster as Hermione’s cries grew louder. She was on the verge of coming now, his mouth finding hers as he pulled at her erect nipples was enough to have her screaming his name as she was carried away on a wave of ecstasy. Mere moments later he too was coming, calling out her name as he emptied himself deep inside her.

‘You belong to me,’ he growled in her ear as he gave a final thrust, causing her to moan once more. Then he held her tight as she shook from the massive climax that had ripped through her body, her breathing still thready. They lay wrapped together, Lucius still inside Hermione, still proclaiming her as his lover.

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘Will you stay with me tonight?’ Lucius asked her some time later. He still hadn’t let go of her.

Hermione nodded. ‘Of course I will, Lucius.’ She twisted in his arms and kissed him on the lips. ‘I have to go to the Ministry tomorrow to hand in your confession. I’ll see if I can find out the trial date. It must be soon.’

‘And will you return me to the other place?’ Lucius’ voice was serious.

‘No. I’m not putting you back in there. They treated you terribly.’

Lucius smiled wanly. ‘Not many people would care, you know, Hermione.’

Hermione’s face was set. ‘Perhaps not, but I do. I’m not having them put you back in a strait-jacket and chain you up. It’s disgusting! It’s inhuman!’

Lucius pushed her beneath him, holding her down.

‘But aren’t you scared of what I could do to you?’

Hermione giggled. ‘What are you going to do, Lucius? Neither of us has a wand, and you’re still not at full strength.’

‘I don’t need a wand,’ Lucius whispered in her ear, pressing his erection against her to make a point. ‘I’ve got something far better.’

‘Mmmmm,’ Hermione agreed as her hand slid down to clasp his hard length and Lucius groaned with pleasure as she touched him.

His hand slid between her legs, enjoying the feel of her slick wetness on his fingers. Hermione had truly become his lover and was ready once more for his attentions. He moved slightly, the tip of his cock pressing lightly at her entrance. Her small moan as their flesh connected turned into a louder cry as he slid into her, holding her tightly as he filled her.

Their lovemaking this time was languid and sensual. Now that each was aware of what the other liked they took their time, each determined to give the other as much pleasure as they could. By the time they had finally reached climax Hermione was in tears, Lucius having given her gratification in a way no other man had ever achieved.

‘Are you all right?’ Lucius asked in concern.

Hermione nodded, still too overwhelmed by emotion to speak.

Lucius held her tightly, kissing her hair as she continued to cry into his shoulder.

‘I’m sorry,’ Hermione told Lucius once she had recovered enough to speak properly.

‘What for?’

‘For being so stupid and crying like that.’ Hermione felt embarrassed for having given in to her emotions so easily. After all, Lucius was supposed to be nothing more than a job, one that was finished now his confession had been given.

Lucius smiled. ‘You don’t think I’m flattered that I can provoke that reaction in you?’ His hand stroked her face gently. ‘Don’t ever be sorry for showing your emotions, love.’

They kissed again.  

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘Are you going to tell me the truth now?’ Hermione asked. ‘Off the record.’

They were laying in the early morning gloom, not wanting to part although Hermione knew she soon had to get up and go to the Ministry.

‘Why do you want to know the truth so badly, Hermione?’ Lucius asked. His voice was carefully neutral.

Hermione looked at him. ‘After what we’ve done, surely I deserve the truth. I need to understand . . . .’

Lucius shook his head. ‘You won’t like it,’ he warned.

Hermione’s face was set. ‘Maybe not, but I still need to know, however bad it is.’

Lucius’ hand caressed her body, gently stroking her bottom as they talked.

‘Can’t you just leave it? Please.’

‘I’m sorry, Lucius. I can’t.’

Lucius looked at her intently for a few moments.

‘What will you give me if I tell you the truth — the complete truth?’ 

Hermione frowned. ‘What do you want? I don’t have anything more to give.’

Lucius continued to stroke her. ‘Your bottom.’ His voice was low and dangerous. ‘I’ll tell you everything you want to know if you let me take you that way.’

Hermione's eyes widened at his demand. There was no way. That was just too high a price to pay.

‘Well?’ 

Hermione shook her head. She pulled away from Lucius and climbed from the bed.

‘What’s the matter, Hermione? Have we finally found something you won’t do for information?’ Lucius called sarcastically as Hermione went into the bathroom.

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘I’m sorry, love.’ Lucius’ voice was contrite as he wrapped his arms around the sobbing woman while the warm water cascaded over them both. ‘That was unfair of me. I know you haven’t just done this for my confession.’ He pulled her head up and kissed her gently on the lips. ‘I know it’s gone way beyond that . . . for both of us.’

His ice-grey eyes locked on her brown ones, thinking not for the first time how incredibly beautiful Hermione was. He found the soap and lathered it, then gently ran his hands over Hermione’s body, enjoying the feeling of her soft skin under his fingers. Slowly she relaxed, her sobs gradually ceasing as his massaging hands soothed and comforted her. She twitched when his hands found her bottom once more but sensing her nervousness he didn’t linger. Instead, he just rinsed her off, then she took the soap and returned the favour.

When they were done showering they wrapped themselves in fluffy white towels and returned to the bedroom. Lucius pulled Hermione onto the bed next to him, still worried about his unthinking comment.  

‘I have to get ready for work,’ Hermione said, struggling to free herself from his grasp. ‘I’ve got a meeting at eleven.’

‘Plenty of time, then,’ Lucius said soothingly. ‘It’s not even eight yet.’

‘I do have other things to do too, Lucius,’ Hermione retorted, slightly more sharply than she had intended.

‘I know you’re unhappy with me, love,’ Lucius said, his finger stroking down Hermione’s spine. She shivered at the movement.

‘Do you understand how important it is for me to know the truth about you?’ Hermione asked. She sounded upset.

‘Not really,’ Lucius admitted. ‘I don’t know why you want to know something that will hurt you.’

‘Because I have to know,’ Hermione cried. ‘Because I need to know just how bad the person I’ve fallen in love with is.’

She blushed furiously at the confession, the thing she had been trying so hard to keep hidden away. She was in love with Lucius Malfoy — even knowing what a bastard he was, even knowing of his hatred of people like her . . . his hatred of her. His change in the last week confused her and she still needed to know the truth about him, however much it was going to hurt.

‘Oh, Hermione, my love—’

Lucius pulled her to him, holding her tightly. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard: the woman he had desired for so long had just told him she was in love with him. She was crying again, not the racking sobs from before but a silent trail of tears as she looked miserably at Lucius.

‘I don’t understand why I feel this way about you,’ she admitted, ‘but I do. But I still don’t understand why you’re happy to touch me now when in the past you never tired of telling me how much you hated me and how worthless I was in your eyes.’ She wiped her eyes with the towel.

Lucius stroked her as he thought carefully. He could admit everything, tell her how he felt, but would it scare her away? And to give up so much with nothing in return. He laughed to himself. Nothing in return? Surely Hermione’s love was more than enough although whether she would still want to know him after he had told her the truth was anyone’s guess.

He sighed. ‘Okay, I’ll tell you — but be aware you won’t like it. I just hope I don’t upset you too much.’

Hermione snuggled into his arms and smiled at him gratefully.

‘So . . . back to when I was seventeen and my father introduced me to the Dark Lord . . . .’

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘ . . . But you were still horrible to me . . . at the Department of Mysteries you were awful, you tried to kill me.’ Hermione’s voice was accusing. She was having a hard time coping with Lucius’ truth.

Lucius shook his head. ‘No, I didn’t. If I’d wanted to kill you, Hermione, I would have done so with no problem. I have to admit I did consider snatching you then, but I was there on the Dark Lord’s orders and it would have been suicidal to abandon his quest for my own selfish ends and with someone so young, too.’ He gave a bitter laugh. ‘Although considering where I ended up, perhaps I should have just grabbed you and run.’

‘But you couldn’t have kidnapped me. You’d never have got away with it.’

‘Wouldn’t I? Are you so sure? No one has access to Malfoy Manor unless I give them leave.’

‘But what about your wife? Surely she would have had something to say about you bringing me home.’

Lucius laughed again. ‘Narcissa and I are married in name only, Hermione. We’ve lived in separate wings of the house for years. If she even knew you were there, she wouldn’t care. Anyway, it’s a moot point. I never did it so it’s not worth thinking about.’

‘But—’

‘You know, I’m sure it was thinking of you that got me through Azkaban,’ Lucius admitted musingly.

Hermione looked at him in surprise. ‘What?’

‘All the time I was in that awful place I focussed on you. How you looked that day at the Ministry. How feisty and fiery you were. I will have to admit to having rather a lot of erotic fantasies about you over the years . . . although none were as good as the real thing.’ He stroked her shoulder, tracing a pattern with his index finger.

‘You do realise that I love you too, Hermione, don’t you?’ Lucius asked, his tone serious. ‘I wanted to make you my mistress, but now I want so much more. I want you to be my wife, to have my children . . . .’ His hand slipped around to rub her stomach gently.

Hermione turned to look at him in shock. ‘But I’m Muggle-born, Lucius. Just think how children with me would affect your precious Pure-blood line!’

Lucius gave a sharp bark of laughter. ‘Can you believe that after all this time I find myself not caring? I just know I want to give you children, want you to be mine . . . forever.’

‘Surely you understand that’s why I wanted to take you anally,’ he whispered in her ear.

Hermione shook her head, upset again. ‘No. How would I know why you wanted that?’ She frowned unhappily.

‘Because I want to possess you completely, of course,’ Lucius said it as if it was totally obvious. His fingers were still gently stroking her as he talked. ‘Because it’s the only way I haven’t made you mine.’

‘But I don’t—’

'Are you scared?’ Lucius’ voice was soft.

‘A bit,’ Hermione admitted, ‘but that’s the not the reason. I just don’t—’

‘You might really enjoy it, you know,’ Lucius said seductively, cutting across her protestation.

‘I don’t think so,’ Hermione retorted.

‘How do you know if you’ve never tried it?’ he asked reasonably. Hermione was stuck. How could she reply to that? ‘I’m not going to hurt you. Surely you know that by now?’

‘I know, but I just don’t feel comfortable—’

‘Just try it,’ Lucius whispered, his breath warm in her ear. ‘If you don’t like it we can stop, I promise.’ Hermione bit her lip as she considered his request. ‘Please, Hermione. I want this so much with you.’

‘You won’t hurt me?’

‘Never, love. I don’t __ever__ want to hurt you.’

Hermione nodded her head, unable to speak. She was scared, more scared than she liked to admit, but she was also sure that Lucius was genuine in his desire not to hurt her. Despite everything she now knew about the man, she trusted him implicitly.

‘Oh, my love, thank you,’ Lucius whispered gratefully. 


	4. Chapter 4

 

Hermione opened the door and looked briefly around the office before entering. She waved at Harry, who was involved in a discussion with an Auror she didn’t recognise, and headed towards her desk, dropping her bag on it before going to the coat stand to remove her rain mac.

‘All right, Hermione. How're things at Death Eater central?’ Ron asked with a wide grin. ‘Did you finally get him to talk?’

He came around the desk and gave his friend a tight hug. ‘It’s been boring as hell without you here. Malfoy’s been a grumpy old git all week.’ He let her go. ‘I’m so glad you’re back,’ he admitted with a grin as he slid behind his own desk.

‘Is Draco around? I need to speak to him before the meeting.’

‘Probably off down in the canteen. He’s been chatting up some bird down there for the last couple of days. He obviously got fed up with waiting for you to come back to work.’

Hermione frowned. ‘There’s nothing going on between me and Draco, Ron.’

‘Not from your point of view, maybe,’ Ron said with a laugh. ‘But he’s really had the arse since you’ve been off with his dad.’

‘He was the one who asked me to go, so I hardly think he’s got a problem with it.’

Ron gave her a look that suggested she was very wrong but didn’t say anything further. Hermione looked at her watch.

‘I think I’ll just go and say hello to Kingsley, then I’ll look for Draco if he isn’t back.’ She walked towards the closed office door and knocked before entering.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

'Hermione, I’d like a word, please.’

Hermione smiled at the blond man and nodded. ‘Draco, I was looking for you. I’ll just go and get my bag. I won’t be a minute.’

‘That won’t be necessary,’ Draco replied abruptly, and turning on his heel he walked off into one of the glassed-in interview rooms. Hermione followed him, shutting the door behind her.

‘Is something the matter?’ she asked Draco, looking at him curiously.

‘Did you get it?’ Draco’s voice was sharp.

‘Yes, of course, although it wasn’t easy. It’s in my bag. That’s why I was going to—’

‘Then he can be returned to the facility now.’ Draco’s words cut across Hermione’s. The comment was not a question.

Hermione looked distressed. ‘No, he can’t. They treated him very badly in there, Draco. He was in a straitjacket and they kept him chained to the bed the whole time.’

‘Perhaps he merited it.’ Draco’s voice was cold.

‘This is your father we’re talking about,’ Hermione said, shocked. ‘He was worried about you.’

Draco snorted. ‘Spent a lot of time talking about me, did you?’

‘No, but it was one of the first things he asked me — if you were okay. He was desperate to know that you’d made it.’

‘And what did you tell him?’

‘That you were doing well. That you’re an Auror and he should be proud of what you’ve accomplished.’

Draco took a step closer and grabbed Hermione’s wrist. ‘Did you do anything with him?’

Hermione stared at the man for a moment. He was gripping her just a fraction too tightly. ‘Let go of my arm, Draco,’ she said quietly.

‘Tell me, Hermione. What did you do with my father? How did you get him to tell you everything?’ He leaned closer to her, almost in her face now.

‘Let go of me, Draco.’ Hermione was upset as she tried to pull away from him. ‘You’re hurting my arm.’

Draco dropped her arm but didn’t move away. He was still in her face.

‘Tell me,’ he hissed. ‘What did you do?’

‘Does it matter?’ Hermione asked with a sigh. ‘I got what you wanted. What does it matter how I got it?’

Draco looked furious. ‘I want to know. What did you do for my father?’ His voice was a quiet hiss.

Hermione frowned. Why was Draco acting so strangely when he had been the one to send her to perform the interrogation in the first place? After all, he was the one who had told her she might have to use incentives to get his father to talk, so why was he now so unhappy that she had done as he requested?

‘Tell me!’ he shouted.

Hermione started. She was confused and close to tears. ‘What do you want me to tell you, Draco?  I did as you said. I gave him incentives to talk, just as you told me I’d have to be prepared to do. What else do you want?’

‘Did you fuck him?’ Draco’s voice was icy cold. Hermione didn’t reply. ‘You did — you fucked my father!’ Draco looked disgusted.

‘It was exactly what you told me to do,’ Hermione asserted, then she turned and walked angrily out the door, leaving Draco alone.

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘I’m not going to be able to spend time with you anymore.’ Hermione’s voice was full of emotion as she spoke.

‘What happened?’ Lucius asked, gently pulling her into his arms. Hermione had been upset since she had returned from the Ministry of Magic.

‘They wanted to send you back to the facility, but I wouldn’t let them. I told them how you had been treated and said it was disgusting.’ She snuggled into Lucius’ arms, pleased to be back with him and away from Draco.

‘Your trial is next week so I told them you could stay here until then. They weren’t happy about it but they finally agreed as long as I don’t spend any time with you. I can bring you meals but that’s all.’ Hermione looked upset.

Lucius kissed her tenderly. ‘That’s better than not seeing you at all, and miles better than being in the other place. And hopefully, it’s only for a week. If I get off, we’ll be free to see each other whenever we want.’

‘I know, but I hate leaving you in here alone. I like being with you.’

‘And I you, my love, but it won’t be for long.’

Hermione thought of Draco and his anger when he had told her she was to keep away from his father.

‘Make love to me, Lucius — please, darling.’

‘Anything you want, my love.’

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lucius was worried. Hermione had seemed upset when she had brought his tray this evening, far more upset than she should have been even with their enforced separation. He, too, desperately wished he could hold her to him or take her to bed. He had grown used to having her beside him when he slept. Now he would wake suddenly with the feeling that something was missing, then realise his lover had been taken away from him. He didn’t understand the reason but he guessed that now his confession had been given it was assumed that Hermione would have no further interest in him, and with his fate undecided, Hermione was hardly likely to announce her true feelings in case he was condemned as a Death Eater.

He picked at his meal, not really hungry. He was going over his confession, the one Hermione had given to the Ministry, to make sure he was word-perfect. He couldn’t slip up or it could spell the end of his life. It was vital that he be released so he could resume his relationship with Hermione.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hermione entered the room the next morning carrying his tray as usual. She looked tired and drawn and seemed nervous, and Lucius wondered if she was worried about him. After all, today was either the beginning or the end of his life.

‘Morning, love,’ he said brightly, trying to break the tense atmosphere.

Hermione dropped the tray on the table and looked at Lucius, who lay naked on the bed.

‘Morning, darling.’

She moved to sit on the bed, bending down to kiss him passionately. To hell with the Ministry. If things went wrong this would be the last time she would see Lucius, and she wanted to make the most of it.

‘Are you supposed to be so intimate?’ Lucius asked in amusement as she slid onto the bed next to him. Her hand caressed his body, finding his erection.

‘No. I’m supposed to leave your tray and go, but I don’t want to. They’ll be here to take you to the Ministry shortly. I need more than that . . . in case—’

She didn’t finish, but she didn’t need to. Lucius knew exactly what she meant. He pulled her down beneath him, his hands moving quickly to unbutton her blouse. The minx wasn’t wearing a bra, neither was she wearing knickers as he found out moments later.

‘I need you, Lucius,’ Hermione whispered. He was already pressing against her, his fingers stroking her clit as his hardness pressed against her.

‘I love you,’ she cried as he pushed into her, both of them moaning with pleasure as their flesh connected once again, both eager to hold onto the other for as long as possible. Too soon their climaxes hit, leaving them breathless and shaking.

‘I love you too, Hermione,’ Lucius whispered. ‘Always.’

‘I don’t want to lose you,’ she cried as he held her. ‘I can’t bear to be without you, Lucius.’

‘Shhhh, love, it’s going to be fine,’ he promised, wiping away her tears.

Hermione pulled out of his arms. ‘No, it’s not.’ She sounded scared.

Lucius looked worried. ‘What’s the matter, love?’

 Hermione pulled on her blouse, buttoning it quickly as she spoke. It was important that Lucius understood exactly what was going on. It could mean the difference between his freedom and his death.

‘Draco was the one who sent me to interrogate you,’ she began. Lucius looked surprised but didn’t say anything.

‘When he asked me to do it he told me it might be necessary for me to offer you an . . . incentive to talk . . . something sexual. I didn’t think that would be necessary. After all, you hated me and were surely dying to find a way to freedom.

‘When I saw how you’d been treated I couldn’t help but feel sorry for you, even knowing what you were, knowing what enemies we were. I admit I was surprised at your erection that morning and overstepped my bounds as a gaoler. I should never have done what I did, especially as it just meant I had no choice then but to negotiate sexually.

‘At first, I was horrified at what I’d done, not because it was awful but because I’d enjoyed it. Against all odds, I’d given my most hated enemy sexual fulfilment and I’d enjoyed doing it . . . and worse still, I wanted to do it again.’

Lucius chuckled. ‘I did you a favour, then.’

‘It’s not funny, Lucius. I was mortified to discover I didn’t really hate you.’ Lucius pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her as she continued to talk.

‘So you confessed and we — well, you know what we did. And I contrived to keep you here with me so I could continue to make love to you.’

‘No complaints from me, love. It’s exactly what I wanted too,’ Lucius said gently.

Hermione nodded. ‘And then you told me the truth. The real truth, not the one you’d told the Ministry.’ She turned to look intently into Lucius’ eyes. ‘I have to admit I was horrified, Lucius. At the things you’d done, at the things you felt, but when you told me about your feelings for me I couldn’t feel horror. I was excited. Excited by the fact that you’d wanted me for so long. It proved to me that we were meant to be together.’

‘And we will be, as soon as I’m free. You know I want you as my wife, Hermione. I’ve never lied about that.’

Hermione nodded again; she had tears in her eyes now.

‘I took your confession to the Ministry, pleased to have done my job even though it hadn’t worked out the way I expected. Draco wanted to talk to me about it—’

‘Did you reassure him? Did you tell him I’d given an innocent confession?’

Hermione sobbed and buried her face in Lucius’ chest.

‘I told him. But he didn’t care. All he was interested in was what I’d had to do to get your confession.’

‘What? But he knew, surely? After all, he told you what you’d have to do.’

‘Yes. But apparently, he didn’t expect me to do it. Your son is angry because I made love to you. He seems to be under the impression that he and I were . . . .’

‘Were you a couple?’ Lucius asked.

‘No! I’ve never got on with him, either, not until we started working together. Somehow, it seems he convinced himself it was only a matter of time before I fell into his arms and he’s furious that I fell into yours instead. He’s called me some pretty choice names.’

Lucius hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. ‘I’m sorry for my stupid and insensitive son,’ he apologised.

‘I’m not worried about him,’ Hermione said. ‘There was never any chance of us being a couple, especially now I’m with you. But his anger and vindictiveness have caused us a major problem.’

Hermione looked at Lucius. Now was the time when she had to decide whether to trust him, for good and all. Draco had manoeuvred her into a position where there could only be one outcome . . . unless she trusted Lucius completely.

‘What’s happened?’ Lucius asked quietly.

‘Draco has called me to testify at your hearing. I’ll be called tomorrow.’ She watched as realisation dawned in Lucius’ eyes; she felt her heart break at the pain she was causing her lover.

‘I will be cross-examined under Verituserum about the truth of your confession. You know what that means.’ She looked terrified.

‘Will the court care that you slept with me to get the confession?’ Lucius asked worriedly. He didn’t want Hermione getting into trouble because of him.

‘No. It shouldn’t make any difference. I merely used sex as a bargaining tool. The problem is that I know the truth. Remember, you told me the real story.’

‘Fuck!’ Lucius thumped the bed before pulling the upset Hermione towards him once more and kissing her. ‘I’m sorry, love,’ he said. ‘Perhaps I should have just told the truth in the first place.’

Hermione pulled from his arms and stood. ‘No. You have to be freed so you can be with me. I can’t live without you, Lucius.’

She moved to the table and rummaged through her bag then turned to face her lover. ‘Here.’ She held out her wand.

Lucius looked at it, not sure what she was suggesting. He didn’t move. ‘I can’t escape,’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘I’d be killed on sight if I tried that.’

Hermione shook her head, smiling sadly. ‘It’s not for that. I’m giving it to you so you can Obliviate me.’

Lucius stared at her in horror. What was she suggesting? ‘No way. I’m sorry, love, but there’s no way I’m butchering your memory like that.’

‘Lucius, you have to. If you don’t remove your true confession I’ll end up condemning you, even though I don’t want to. You know I will. Please, love, you have to do this.’

‘How can you trust me so implicitly, Hermione? I could take your wand and kill you, then attack the others when they come to take me away.’

Hermione smiled and stroked his face. ‘I know you won’t do that, Lucius. You love me. I trust you to give me my wand back when you’ve finished with it, but you have to do this.’

‘But if I do that you might forget everything that’s happened.’

‘That would be preferable to condemning you to death because of some stupid conversation I forced you to have.’

‘But you might not remember that we made love . . . how we feel about each other . . . how we want to be together.’

‘I’ve thought of that,’ Hermione replied. She extracted a small blue bottle from the handbag. ‘First, we need to extract the memories and place them in this bottle. I can use them with a Pensieve when you’re free and everything’s blown over.’

‘But will you? How can I convince you to do it if you hate me again?’ Lucius sounded unhappy.

‘I’ve written myself a letter explaining everything that’s happened and everything I feel now. I’ve arranged for it to be sent to me in a month. Your trial should be decided one way or another by then. Please, Lucius — I’ve done everything I can think of to ensure that I remember you. I just need you to Obliviate me.’

‘I don’t want to do it.’ Lucius sounded desperately unhappy.

‘I know that, love, and if there was any other way I wouldn’t even suggest it, but you know we have no choice.’

Lucius nodded sadly, watching as Hermione began to extract wisps of memory which she placed in the bottle. After about ten minutes she left the room briefly to hide it in a safe place. They definitely didn’t need the memories of what she and Lucius had done and talked about being found by the wrong person. A few minutes later she returned to the bedroom and gave Lucius a small smile.

‘A last kiss before you do it?’ she asked, hoping she sounded happier than she felt.

‘Anything for you, my love,’ Lucius replied, pulling her to him as his mouth found hers. He realised they were both crying as they parted, tears of sadness at what they had to do rolling down both their cheeks.

‘I love you so much, Lucius,’ Hermione whispered as he took her wand from her.

‘I love you too, Hermione. I really hope you remember that,’ he replied then pointed the wand at her head.

‘Obliviate!‘

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘. . . And is it true, Miss Granger, that you were present when Mr Malfoy gave the confession we have heard detailed in this court?’ The man in black robes walked backwards and forwards in front of the witness box.

‘Yes, sir, it’s true. It was my charmed quill that wrote the confession. I have it here if the judge wants to inspect it.’

The judge nodded and Hermione handed the quill to the usher, who carried it across the room. It was soon regurgitating everything it had written during the confession.

‘And do you believe Mr Malfoy’s confession is true?’ the man in black continued.

‘It’s not for me to judge, sir. I merely take the confessions. I don’t know whether the contents are accurate or not.’

Draco scowled at her across the room; that wasn’t the answer he had expected. He was sure his father had told Hermione the truth, not just the pack of lies he was touting as truth, and under Verituserum she shouldn’t have been able to dismiss it. She should have been telling the court his confession was rubbish.

‘Did Mr Malfoy give any other version of his confession at any point during the proceedings?’

Hermione thought for a moment and looked at Lucius, who sat passively in the prisoner’s box. She turned back to the man in black.

‘No, sir. We didn’t talk much apart from when he gave his confession; a little about books, but that’s all.’

Draco leant forward and whispered something to the Ministry official, who raised his eyebrows and gave a small smile.

‘Miss Granger, can you explain how you got your confession from Mr Malfoy?’

Hermione frowned again. ‘Over the course of a few days I asked him to give me information on various aspects of his life and he answered. The charmed quill wrote down his words exactly as he spoke them and once the confession was completed he read what had been written and signed the bottom to agree that it was an accurate rendition of his confession. Once that was done I brought the signed parchment back to the Ministry, where it has been held ever since.’

The man in black nodded. ‘What I meant, Miss Granger was what method you used to extract the confession from Mr Malfoy. Did you, for instance, give him any incentive to answer your questions?’

Hermione turned to look at Draco and shot him a filthy look. The bastard had done this on purpose because he seemed to think she hadn’t answered the previous questions as he wanted. Well, he wasn’t going to win.

She looked at Lucius and smiled, then turned back to the questioner. ‘I was given the job and my instructions by trainee Auror Draco Malfoy, son of Mr Malfoy.’ She saw Draco scowl as his name was mentioned. Tough. If they were going to find out what she had done then they would find out why she had done it in the first place.

‘He suggested that it was unlikely that I would get a confession from his father unless I was prepared to offer him some sort of incentive. He made it clear to me that this incentive would be sexual.’

She looked at the judge before turning back to the man in black.

‘Of course, I had assumed that Mr Malfoy was a Death Eater, and as I am Muggle-born it was very unlikely he would want or request any sexual favours from me. After all, his supposed hatred of Muggles is well known.’

There was a general nodding of heads at this comment. Everyone knew how much Lucius Malfoy hated non-Pure-bloods. It was surprising that he would even talk to a Muggle-born, surely there was no way he would touch one.

‘Therefore, I anticipated that he might not even want to talk to me because of my blood status. However, I found he had no interest in that. Indeed, he was more than happy to talk to me, even eager to explain his side of things.’

The many faces in the room looked surprised.

‘And did he require an incentive, Miss Granger?’

Hermione blushed. All eyes turned to her in interest. ‘It could have been considered an incentive,’ she replied carefully. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Draco still looking angry. Lucius was smirking now.

‘And can you tell the court exactly what you did to ensure that Mr Malfoy gave his confession?’ the man in black asked.

Hermione smiled. ‘Do you really want full details? Would it be enough to say that we made love?’

There was a shocked whisper around the courtroom. Lucius was definitely smiling now.

The man in black looked at Hermione. ‘Yes, Miss Granger, I think that will be sufficient.’

‘Of course, the fact that he wanted to make love to me shows that those rumours about him being the Muggle-hating Death Eater aren’t exactly accurate, doesn’t it?’ Hermione said helpfully. ‘And he didn’t hold back,’ she added wickedly as the man in black held up a hand to silence her.

‘That will be all, Miss Granger. No further questions,’ he said coldly.

‘Thank you, sir,’ Hermione replied. She left the stand, smiling at Lucius and Draco as she went.


	5. Chapter 5

 

‘Draco, what’s going on?’ Hermione asked him when they were back in the office.

She was confused. She had thought Draco wanted to help his father, but it was clear now that this wasn’t the case. Without responding, Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her into one of the interrogation rooms, slamming the door shut behind them so they were alone and couldn’t be overheard. He turned to face her, his expression livid.

‘Why did you do it? Don’t you want your father to go free?’ Hermione asked him.

‘Go free?’ Draco’s lip curled in a sneer. ‘Why would I want that? Why would I want him free to pursue you?’ he asked angrily.

‘But I don’t understand. Why did you get me to take his statement, then? You could have just left him in that place until the Wizangamot decided his fate. I mean, they would never have considered him innocent without his testimony.’

Draco laughed bitterly. ‘That was supposed to be my great revenge on him, sending you to do the interrogation. I knew all about his obsession with you. I’ve had to live with it for years. Imagine how upset the old man would have been when he saw that you were completely horrified at the idea of having to do anything sexual with him. But you fucked it up completely. Why did you fucking sleep with him? You hated him. You’ve ruined everything, you stupid bitch!’

Hermione frowned as she thought back to the interrogation. She had given Lucius an incentive to talk, but nothing that she hadn’t agreed on with Draco earlier. It shouldn’t have been a problem.  And what was this about an obsession?

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Draco. I only did as you told me I might have to do.’

‘But you weren’t supposed to,’ Draco said his face strained with anger. ‘You were supposed to be disgusted at the idea of having to fuck him and tell him to get lost.’

‘But why? I don’t understand,’ Hermione said in confusion.

Draco sighed. ‘I can’t believe you don’t know,’ he said coldly. Seeing her continuing look of confusion, he continued, ‘My father’s been after you for years. He’s been bloody obsessed. When he came back from Azkaban he used to dream about you. I’d hear him calling out your name in his sleep. He became a bloody liability. When the Dark Lord moved into our house I used to have to put a silencing charm on his room so he didn’t give himself away. Crying out like some lovesick pup over a bloody Mudblood — he could have got us all killed.’ He looked disgusted.

Hermione stared at Draco in shock. She’d had no idea Lucius had been interested in her before the interrogation. It certainly explained his lack of reluctance to negotiate. She had assumed he was just using it as a tool to get free, merely covering up his hatred of her.

‘But that’s rubbish, Draco. He tried to kill me at the Ministry of Magic.’

‘Shame he didn’t bloody succeed, then.’ Draco scowled, then when he saw Hermione’s hurt expression he added grumpily, ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean that. But you don’t have any idea how I felt knowing my dad fancied you. That he was looking at someone who was the same age as me in terms of being a lover. It was disgusting. I should have been the one with you, not him.’

Hermione was still confused but was rapidly gaining an understanding. ‘So you sent me to get the confession, expecting me to reject any ideas your dad had for incentives?’

‘Yes. But you didn’t? Why didn’t you?’

‘I don’t know,’ Hermione admitted. ‘I mean, I knew he hated me, but . . . you know, I really don’t know.’

And she really didn’t. The reasoning behind the incentives was a complete blank. Yet again it was as if the episode had been no more than a dream.

‘Did he tell you the truth?’ Draco asked suddenly.

‘How should I know? You heard the confession. What do you think?’

‘That’s not a proper confession,’ Draco sneered. ‘That was a bit of crap designed to get him off the charges. Anyone with half a brain knows that. But I was sure he’d told you the truth.’ He looked at her musingly. ‘How the hell did you beat the Verituserum?’

‘I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,’ Hermione said tensely. ‘I told the court everything that happened. Lucius and I only spoke a couple of times outside of the confession. At the beginning, when I told him about you and your mum, and once when I offered to take him a book. That was it. We had no contact other than that, apart from vague pleasantries when I took in his meals.’

‘I don’t believe it,’ Draco said. ‘And I still can’t believe you fucked him!’

‘Sorry, but you shouldn’t have told me I might have to, then, should you?’ Hermione said angrily. All this was because Draco was jealous of his father, and she’d had enough. She had never fancied him and that wasn’t going to change any time soon.

‘Anyway, how was I supposed to know you fancied me?’ she asked coldly. ‘Calling me a Mudblood constantly for seven years definitely wasn’t a hint.’

‘I was the Prince of Slytherin,’ he replied stiffly. ‘I was expected to act a certain way in public. You never gave me the chance to get to know you in private. If you had you would have known how I felt about you.’

‘Funny, that,’ Hermione retorted sharply. ‘I wonder why I didn’t want to be somewhere private with you Draco. Maybe because you were always on the verge of hexing me.’

‘But in private I wouldn’t have been like that. I tried so hard to get you alone, but I never managed it.’

‘Well, it’s a moot point. You and I aren’t suited Draco. No, really we’re not. I don’t know what you think we’ve got, but I can assure you we haven’t.’

Draco scowled. ‘You’re in love with my father, aren’t you?’ he said bitterly.

‘No, of course I’m not,’ Hermione said. ‘Your father was just a job. That’s over now, and I’d rather have nothing more to do with either of you.’

Draco scowled again. Hermione sighed.

‘Look, Draco, we have to work together so let’s be friends, eh? But I’m sorry, it’s just not going anywhere else. It’s the same as with Ron and Harry.’

He grimaced at the mention of her two best friends and said, ‘I was really hoping . . . .’

‘Please don’t.’ Hermione pleaded. ‘I’m sorry, I’m just not interested.’

She opened the door to the room they had been in and left, rushing to grab her bag before heading for the toilets. She needed to be away from Draco and forget all about Lucius Malfoy. His trial was over for her now and she really didn’t care one way or another what happened to the man.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hermione bolted upright, opening her eyes and looking around her. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock — six-seventeen a.m. She groaned and lay back down; too late to go back to sleep, the alarm would be going off in just over five minutes anyway.

She ran her hands through her hair. She had been woken by her dreams again, just as she had been every night since she had given her testimony at Lucius Malfoy’s inquiry. Always the same dream — she and Lucius making love, clearly both enjoying it immensely — but she always woke with a vague sense of loss just before they climaxed.

She knew she had made love to Lucius during their time together, but the whole episode seemed somewhat dimmed as if it had been something she had witnessed rather than taken part in. Anyway, it had just been part of the job and now she was working on other things. She no longer had to worry about Lucius Malfoy.

Not surprisingly, his pull with the Ministry of Magic had enabled him to be released without charge, her own testimony apparently helping. After all, how likely was it that a Death Eater would want to have sex with a Muggle-born?

She couldn’t help but wonder about the dreams, though. They were far more erotic than anything she remembered with Lucius, and they didn’t change. And curiously, she and Lucius appeared to be very much in love. She could feel it coming from him in waves and knew she returned the feeling, but they had never got that close in real life.

After he had been acquitted Lucius had come to see her and had invited her to tea at Malfoy Manor to thank her for her help. She had turned him down flat. After all, she had only been doing her job; there was no need to continue her relationship with him now he was free. They had never got on — a slight understatement; they had been sworn enemies for years — but now the war was over and they could both get on with their lives without needing to worry about each other.

The alarm was sounding now and she reached over to switch it off. She rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom, picking up her towelling robe on the way. She might as well get to the office early, she had loads to do and could get more work done before Draco came to ruin her day, as he had done almost every day since his father had been freed. Anyone would think he had wanted Lucius to be sent back to Azkaban.

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘Are you all right, Hermione?’ Harry asked in concern. His friend had been at her desk early again that morning, and she looked tired and pale.

‘I’m good, just not sleeping too well. I keep waking just before the alarm. It’s really beginning to bug me,’ Hermione laughed.

‘Are you worried about something?’

‘No, I don’t think so, just turning into one of those people who doesn't need an alarm clock. Old age, I expect.’ She smiled and turned back to her work. There was no way she was telling Harry she had been dreaming about Lucius Malfoy. She had already had enough of his and Ron’s sympathy when they found out what she’d had to do to get his confession.

She looked at the calendar. It was a month since the trial, surely she should have got over it by now? She just had to try and put it out of her mind. She picked up the copy of the __Daily Prophet__ Harry had brought in for her and glanced at the headlines — nothing of interest, as usual. For a moment she remembered a conversation with Lucius about Severus Snape and his being awarded the Order of Merlin. She frowned. When had she had that conversation? She had never talked to Lucius about anything other than his confession, apart from when he had first arrived and she had offered to get him a book.

But the moment was gone and the memory fleeting. She sighed and put the paper down, looking at her pile of work. She needed to take a break soon to recharge her batteries. And she wasn’t feeling too well. In fact, she felt a bit queasy. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘There was an owl for you,’ Ron said when Hermione re-entered the room, having just been sick in the toilet. ‘Here.’

He tossed the letter to her, then sat down at his desk. ‘Anything interesting?’

Hermione shrugged and, frowning, opened the letter. There was nothing to identify who it was from and the envelope was typed. She pulled out the sheaf of parchments and unfolded them, looking quickly at them and then looking round the room. It was her handwriting.

‘I’m just going to go and read this somewhere quiet,’ she told Ron, waving the letter, and she headed for one of the interview rooms.

She closed the door and sat down. She was shaking. Why would she have sent a letter to herself? And why would she have typed the envelope so she wouldn’t realise it was from her? Well, she would never find out unless she read it. She looked down at the first page.

__On 2nd December 1998, I was given the task by Draco Malfoy of getting a confession from his father, Lucius Malfoy, about his Death Eater activities. I had been authorised to release Lucius from the facility he was being held in and detain him at my home, having securely prepared my bedroom in readiness. I had been warned that I might need to negotiate with my captive and that a sexual incentive might be required . . . ._ _

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hermione’s stomach gave a lurch and she rushed to the toilet, fighting the urge to be sick again. She really wasn’t feeling very well. Mind you, she needed to go home anyway. If that letter was right — and she had no reason to suppose it wasn’t — then she had some memories she urgently needed to find.

If what she had written was true, she now understood what the dreams she had been having about Lucius meant. According to the letter, the relationship she’d had with him during the interrogation had gone far beyond what she believed, and she’d had her memory modified to save him during the inquiry. The letter didn’t give all the details; clearly, she was trying to ensure that nothing incriminating could be found by others and thus jeopardise her relationship and Lucius’ freedom. But from what it did say, Hermione had worked out that her original memories were stored in a bottle somewhere, ready for viewing in a Pensieve.

She leant over the sink and washed out her mouth with water, then looked at herself in the mirror. God, she looked awful, and her head was pounding fit to burst. It was time to go home. Kingsley would understand. She exited the toilet and made her way shakily back to her office.

‘Are you all right, Hermione?’ Ron asked worriedly, seeing his friend’s drawn face.

‘No, not really. I’ve just been sick and I’ve got a pounding headache; some bug or something, I expect. I’m going to go home and try to sleep it off. I’ll tell Kingsley so he’ll know where to reach me if he needs to.’ Hermione winced as if in pain.

‘It wasn’t something to do with that letter, was it?’ Ron asked suspiciously.

‘No, that was just some personal rubbish — nothing worth worrying about. To be honest, I’ve been feeling pretty rough all morning and it finally came out.’

She grimaced as she hurriedly shoved the letter deep into the bottom of her handbag. Picking it up, she walked over to the coat stand to collect her coat before heading to Kingsley’s office to tell him she was going home.

She was just on her way out the door when she ran into Lucius, elegantly dressed as always and looking concerned when he saw her pale face.

‘What’s the matter, Miss Granger?’ His voice was full of worry.

‘I’m not feeling too well,’ she admitted. ‘I’m going to go home. Lucius, will you come with me, please?’

‘You got the letter, then?’ he asked quietly.

Hermione looked at him in surprise. ‘Did you know about that? Why didn’t you tell me before?’

‘Would you have believed me if I’d told you what had happened between us? I mean, you don’t even remember talking to me, do you?’ Lucius’ voice was sad.

‘Bits. I keep getting flashes of memory, but it’s all so weird I can’t work it out. And then there are the dreams.’

‘Dreams?’

‘You and me, making love. I can feel the love between us, but the dream always finishes before we climax and I feel the biggest sense of loss.’

Lucius chuckled. ‘Sounds like our relationship. We had to stop before we reached the climax.’ He took Hermione’s hand. ‘I’m really hoping we can pick up where we left off, Hermione.’

Hermione gave a small smile. ‘I need to find that bottle. Do you have a Pensieve?’

Lucius nodded. ‘Yes, at home. Do you know where you put the bottle? You didn’t tell me in case I was interrogated — safer if only you knew where you’d hidden it.’

‘I’ve got an idea where I might have put it, although I know it’s definitely at home somewhere. Will you come with me? Hopefully, it won’t be too painful for you.’

Lucius looked at her curiously. ‘Why would it be painful for me?’

‘Because that’s where I held you for the interrogation — in my bedroom,’ Hermione admitted.

‘It was your bedroom. I wondered, but there was nothing of yours in the wardrobe or dressers,’ Lucius said.

‘No, I cleared it all out. I’d been expecting the Lucius Malfoy with an entourage and trunks, not the Lucius Malfoy in a straitjacket and dirty pants.’ She gave a wan smile.

‘Sorry to disappoint you,’ Lucius replied, but he, too, was smiling. ‘I just wish I’d realised I was in your bed all that time.’

‘Would it have made any difference?’ Hermione asked.

‘Probably not,’ Lucius admitted. ‘I was having enough erotic thoughts about you already without adding your bed to it. Although I do like the bedstead; makes an interesting change from a four-poster . . . not so easy to tie you to, though,’ he finished with a grin.

Hermione tried to look scandalised but failed and laughed instead.

‘Perhaps I’d rather tie you up.’ 

‘You’re welcome to,’ Lucius said. ‘Any time you want.’ He smiled salaciously.

‘I’ll bear it in mind,’ Hermione promised.

They stepped into the alley outside the Ministry and Hermione quickly looked around to make sure no one was looking before wrapping her arms around Lucius’ waist. There was a loud pop as they Disapparated.

Hermione opened the door from the hallway into the lounge and ushered Lucius in ahead of her, then headed for the kitchen and went into the larder. She pulled out a stack of tins and found one in particular and unscrewed the lid. As she pulled the lid off the fake tin she saw the blue bottle nestled safely inside. Smiling happily, she quickly removed it and returned the tins to the cupboard.

She headed back to the lounge, wondering where Lucius was. She didn’t have far to look. He was in the bedroom, looking with interest at the room that had once more been transformed back into Hermione’s personal space rather than the empty room he had stayed in. As she entered the room he turned to look at her.

‘Did you find it?’ he asked hopefully.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yes. It was where I thought I’d put it.’ She showed him the bottle.

‘Are you ready to go, then?’ Lucius asked.

‘I just need to visit the bathroom first,’ Hermione said, her queasiness having suddenly returned. She quickly made her way to the loo, just making it before she was sick once more.

A few minutes later she rejoined Lucius, assuring him that she was fine, both to travel and to look at the memories. Now that she knew about them she wanted desperately to see what she had forgotten about her and Lucius, and no illness was going stop her. Although still a little concerned, Lucius accepted her assurance. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he Apparated them both to Malfoy Manor.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hermione opened the bottle and tipped it into the Pensieve. She looked at the swirling grey liquid. Lucius took her hand gently.

‘Are you all right?’ he asked. Hermione nodded. ‘You don’t have to do this if you’re not ready, Hermione,’ he said carefully.

‘No, I am ready. I’m just feeling a little queasy still. Will you come with me?’ Hermione’s voice was quiet.

‘Are you sure you want me to?’ Lucius looked at her with concern.

‘Of course. I don’t think there’s anything in there that you don’t already know. It’s all to do with our relationship, isn’t it?’

‘Yes. But it’s from your perspective,’ Lucius replied.

‘Please join me, Lucius.’ Hermione said sincerely, and she reached out to take his hand.

Lucius smiled and nodded. The two of them leant forward into the swirling liquid and were drawn into the memory.

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘Everything makes sense now,’ Hermione said. She sounded content and looked it as she smiled at Lucius.

Her brain was still spinning from trying to take in everything she had seen, but recent bits of memories and her dreams fitted into the memories she had watched. Now she knew she and Lucius were completely in love and she didn’t have to worry about the weird feelings her body was experiencing — which had nothing to do with the bug she was going down with.

Lucius pulled her to him and his lips found hers, gently at first, then with more passion as Hermione responded to his kiss.

‘I really do love you, Lucius,’ Hermione told him as she stroked his face.

‘I love you too, Hermione,’ Lucius responded honestly. ‘With all my heart.’ They kissed again. ‘How are you feeling?’ he asked a little worriedly. ‘Are you still feeling ill?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘Not so much now, just a bit of a headache.’

Lucius gave a salacious smile. ‘Well, I think you should have a lie-down,’ he said. ‘And I think I should join you to make sure you don’t have a relapse.’

Hermione gave a small laugh and nodded in agreement. Lucius led his lover to his bed and pushed her down beneath him, wanting to claim her once more to make her his for all time.

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘When did you last have a period, Hermione?’ Lucius’ voice was curious.

Hermione shrugged. ‘I don’t know, why?’

‘Your sickness — it’s obviously not a bug; you’ve had it too long. I was wondering if you might be pregnant.’

‘Pregnant?’ Hermione frowned. ‘I don’t think I can be. I was using contraception.’

‘Muggle contraception?’

‘Yes. The pill. It should still be effective, though, shouldn’t it?’

Lucius shrugged. ‘Maybe. But as we’re both wizards I wouldn’t have thought it would necessarily be effective.’

‘Oh!’ Hermione looked surprised.

‘Do you mind?’ Lucius pulled Hermione close and held her tightly.

‘Not really. Do you?’ Hermione sounded a little worried about what Lucius’ response would be.

‘Merlin’s beard, no. I think it’s fantastic.’ Lucius kissed the top of Hermione’s head, his hand moving down to caress her stomach. ‘Exactly what I wanted.’

‘You always seem to get exactly what you want, Lucius,’ Hermione noted as she leant back against her lover, enjoying his slow caress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I could have continued the story but this seemed like the right place to end it. Hermione was indeed pregnant and she gave birth to a daughter, Amber. Lucius’ divorce from Narcissa came through and he and Hermione married by which time she was pregnant with their second child, a girl called Louise. A couple of years later their first son called Lucien arrived and then another daughter Saffron. As Hermione celebrated her thirtieth birthday (Lucius was fifty-five) she found that she was pregnant once again, this time with a son called Theodore. Draco wasn’t at all happy at Hermione’s relationship with his father, although he did make an effort to get on with his step-brothers and sisters, all of whom adored him. After five children Hermione and Lucius decided to start using contraception not wanting to rival the Weasley’s. 


End file.
